Fort Walton Beach, FL
Census place 1224475 · pop 21,025
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-4.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
97/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$68,538 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
14.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,870/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$321,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
61.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
25.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
29.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
153 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
31.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.56% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
36 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
272 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
Frequently asked
- Is Fort Walton Beach, FL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Fort Walton Beach scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is property crime rate and its weakest is population growth (5yr). Florida overall ranks #29 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Fort Walton Beach, FL?
- Fort Walton Beach reports 153 violent crimes per 100k and 272 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Fort Walton Beach, FL expensive to live in?
- Fort Walton Beach has a median home value of $321,800 and typical rent around $1,870/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Fort Walton Beach, FL?
- Its weakest measured area is population growth (5yr) (-4.8%) — 9/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Fort Walton Beach, FL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is property crime rate (272/100k) — 90/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.
